Magnus vs Noah
Magnus and Noahcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Magnus was ranked #312 and Noah #1 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Magnus was ranked #17 and Noah #1 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Magnus was ranked #130 and Noah #1 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Magnus was ranked #358 and Noah #2 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2019, Magnus was ranked #764 and Noah #3 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Magnus and Noah over time
Magnus and Noah appear together in 2 published lists, across 62 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2016, Noah moved ahead of Magnus in Norway · Boys — #8 and #11 the year before became #12 and #5.
- Longest-running competitions
Magnus and Noah were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 33 years, from 1990 to 2025, ending at #17 and #1.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Magnus #335 in 2022, Noah #1 in 2021.
List by list
Norway · Boys33 shared years, 1990–2025
Magnus held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Noah in 10.
Highest recorded here: Magnus #3 in 2013, Noah #1 in 2021.
The order changed in 2016: Noah moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #8 and #11; by 2016 that had become #12 and #5.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Magnus #17, Noah #1.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Magnus held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Noah in 29.
Highest recorded here: Magnus #335 in 2022, Noah #1 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Magnus #358, Noah #2.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Magnus | Noah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Directly 'great' or 'mighty' in Latin. | Commonly interpreted as 'rest' or 'comfort'. |
| Origin | Latin | Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmæɡnəs/ | /ˈnoʊə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Mags | Noa, Noé |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway #12 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Magnus is recorded with a Latin origin, while Noah is recorded with a Hebrew origin.
- Magnus has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Noah.
- Magnus's recorded meaning differs from Noah's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Magnus
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #125 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Norway, in 2013 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #12 in Norway, in 2025.
Norway
Noah
Popularity journey
First recorded1990
First recorded at #640 among boys in Norway in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2021 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys